I’d like to make a contribution to this thread with sharing impressions of the Shozy Black Hole with you.
Shozy Black Hole Review
(Cable taken from Shozy Form 1.4)
Intro
Black Hole (BH) is the latest in-ear monitor from Shozy. This rather unusual earphone was co-engineered with KOOK™ Electro-Acoustic Engineering Lab (USA). It features a single 10mm dynamic driver, has a semi-open-back design and comes in at $799.
Shozy call it their most advanced In-ear design to date (Q4/2020) and have put a lot of effort and research into creating this unique IEM. Apparently they spent 2 years with tuning and re-shaping to achieve a sound signature and stage unknown for a single-driver earphone to date. We’ll put this to the test in the following review.
Specifications
Single dynamic driver earphone:
- Type : semi-open-back design
- Patented Multiple Separation Technology (M.S.T.)
- Driver：10mm dynamic
- Impedance：16 Ohm
- Frequency response：16 Hz-24KHz
- Sensitivity：105 dB
- SPL：125dB @ 1KHz
- THD (Total harmonic distortion)：< 1% @ 1KHz
- Color choice：Gloss Black/ Gold/ Silver/ Rose Gold
- Termination：3.5mm/ Gold-plated
- Cable length: 1.2m
Disclaimer
My review consists solely of my own thoughts, opinions and impressions of the product. I paid for the tested product, it was not given for free. All pictures were taken by myself unless stated otherwise.
Review gear
- Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference (main testing source)
- Astell & Kern SP1000M DAP
- Cayin N8 DAP
- Cayin N6 II DAP with E02 module
Music selection/Testing playlist
Voices, midrange, acoustic guitars etc.
Tenacious D - Tenacious D - Wonderboy
Marily Manson - The Pale Emperor - Day3
Chris Jones - Moonstruck
Sara K. - Hell or High Water - I Can’t Stand The Rain, Stars
Ana Tijoux - 1977 - Partir de Cero
Channel separation
Tenacious D - Tenacious D - Kielbasa
NIN - The Downward Spiral - Hurt
Johnny Cash - The Essential - Ring of Fire
Stephen Coleman - Westworld Season 2 Soundtrack - C.R.E.A.M.
Soundstage, treble, electric guitars etc.
Tenacious D - Tenacious D live - Rise of the Fenix
Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged - Rooster
Korn - MTV Unplugged - Freak on a Leash
Anneke van Giersbergen - Symphonized - Feel Alive
Howard Shore - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Blunt the Knives
Dynamics, bass, subbass
The Diary - The Gentle Storm - Endless Sea |Gentle Version|
Wardruna - Runaljod: Ragnarok - Tyr
Hans Zimmer - Man of Steel OST - Look to the Stars
Hans Zimmer - Pearl Harbor OST - Tennessee
Ice Cube - Raw Footage - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
Andreas Vollenweider - Vox - Enchanted Rocks
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging is quite plain and simple: You get a small metallic-gray cardboard box where you find the IMEs and cable inside a gray fabric carrying case.
Only other accessories are a bunch of different eartips. That’s about it. I like the fact that this package is small and thus maybe a bit more environmentally friendly. But for an asking price of 799 $, there could be a bit more in terms of a higher quality packaging and maybe a nicer case that just matches the BH’s quality and price a bit more. However, if Shozy decided to put all the money into the sound rather than accessories, I’m fine with it. We will find out.
Build quality & Fit
IEMs
Build quality of the Black Hole is very good indeed. The finish is pretty much perfect and the 2-pin connectors of the cable “snap” into the slightly recessed sockets of the IEMs with a little click. Really nice!
Since the Black Hole has a semi-open-back design, the looks are rather unusual with big holes on the back of the earphones. That’s of course a matter of personal taste. I personally love the bold and - to my eyes - beautiful futuristic design of the BHs.
The Black Hole are rather big in-ears, so they will not fit smaller ears. In fact, I wanted to give a pair to my wife as a gift since she loved the looks, but unfortunately, they were just too big for her ears. For my medium sized ears they fit just fine.
With the included ear tips, I don’t get a very good seal, but that’s not the point here since we’re basically dealing with open-back earphones leaking music out and environmental noise in. This is of course intentional and part of the design. Still, when experimenting with different tips, I managed to get a rather good seal with Flare Audio’s Audiophile Earfoams that I use on most of my in-ear monitors (IEMs).
Cable
The build quality of the stock cable is very good indeed with good flexibility and low cable noise. I do not love the looks too much though. The strands are 3-colored: silver, gold and copper which, in my opinion, makes for a rather flashy cable. The connectors, y-split and plug are polished metal (chrome?) and have some kind of little “bumps” on them. The whole cable looks quite unique for sure and certainly is an acquired taste.
There is another thing though that bothers me a bit more concerning the usability of the cable: While there is a small blue dot on one side of the 2-pin connectors to indicate the direction in which the cable should be plugged into the IEM, there is no such indication on the IME itself. Less experienced people might attach the cable the wrong way, resulting in possible damage to the electronics or at least a bad sound quality. However, apart from the unique design, you get a very good cable.
Edit* One last thing about the cable: The BH’s cable comes standard with 3.5mm trs plug termination. On my special request, Shozy kindly provided me with 2.5mm trrs termination, because I always use balanced output. The option to choose from the most standard connections should be standard in my opinion. (Campfire Audio does the same and their balanced cables start a 149$, so this adds to the price should you want a balanced output.) I gave that feedback to Shozy and I hope they will think about that.
Sound
Now do the Black Holes make up in sound for what they lack in accessories? They do!
Overall tonality
The Shozy Black Hole provides a very full, immersive sound with a sound stage that might match some full-size headphones. The timbre is more on the musical slightly warmer side than being absolutely neutral. I would not call the BH a “warm” IEM though. I did not do measurements but Shozy confirmed a slight W-shaped signature.
Treble & Detail
Acoustic- and electric guitars are represented in vast detail and it is a joy to listen to acoustic/unplugged music on those beauties. Treble is pronounced but at the same time silky smooth and as to this point, I could not make out any sibilance. Overall, details and nuances are rendered incredibly well not only for a single dynamic driver, but for an IEM in general. Try Andreas Vollenweider’s “Enchanted Rocks” from his “Vox” album and you will know what I mean. Literally, rocks are grated against each other and it feels like someone’s doing that in front of you. Wow! Be aware though that this can make for an intense listening experience and after a while it could be almost too much.
Midrange
Voices are slightly pronounced but never overwhelming in a way that the rest of the band/orchestra would fall behind. I consider the rest of the midrange to be rather neutral and pleasant. Nothing is missing, nothing is overdone.
Bass/Sub-bass
Bass is tight and punchy with a nice sub-bass extension. All in all you get a very nice foundation for the rest of the frequency spectrum. It is worth mentioning that the Black Hole’s bass capabilities largely depend on the source used. When switching from A&K SP1000m to Cayin N6II or N8, the bass/sub-bass presence increased noticeably.
The BHs are not bass monsters like Empire Ears Hero or Legend X that feature specialized subwoofers. They only have 1 driver to do it all. With that in mind, they do a good job in the bass department.
Soundstage
One highlight of the Black Hole is certainly the soundstage: Big and 3-dimensional. It feels like the sound “embraces” the listener. This might be a property of that special “semi-open-back” design, but I can’t tell. It sure is impressive what can be done with a single driver in this particular configuration!
Channel separation
This is another area where the Black Hole excels. Channel separation is very very good and on par with much more expensive in-ears. What more is there to say?
Neutrality
This is certainly not a neutral IEM with its W-shaped tuning. But it’s also not very colored. It depends a lot on the source you’re using too. Like in the review of EE Hero i’d rather describe it as “well balanced” with a nice dose of fun.
Amplification/Matchability/Scalability
The BH surprised me right out of the box with a very full, immersive and relaxed sound on my AK SP1000M DAP. The real shock came when paring the BHs with my Cayin N6II/E02 DAP. Everything just went bigger: More bass, bigger soundstage, simply a more emotional performance overall. I figure the Black Hole IEMs need enough power and might very well profit from a more “musical” source rather than a neutral one like my SP1000M.
Comparisons
Shozy & AAW Pola39 (950,-US$)
The Pola39 remains Shozy’s most expensive offering to date and features multiple drivers including an electrostatic driver for the high frequencies. It features a classic but beautiful resin-made body with a beautiful faceplate.
Despite the Pola39’s use of an electrostatic driver, the treble is much less pronounced than on the Black Hole. It’s a lot smoother with the details being there too but less obvious. The Pola may be the more relaxed experience for long listens, on the other hand, the Black Hole is a bit more engaging and fun.
The midrange representation is, to my ears, quite similar with voices maybe a little less pronounced on the Pola39.
Bass seems less tight on the Pola39 with more sub-bass extension in comparison to the Black Hole. This gives the impression of a slightly warmer and fuller sound on the Pola39. The differences are subtle and more in terms of tonality than total amount of bass.
Separation is very good on both IEMs but soundstage wise, Black Hole grabs the crown due to it’s semi-open-back design.
I have to mention the packaging & accessories here, since the Pola39 came with the most luxurious packaging and accessories of all IEMs I have ever owned. The unpacking experience for me is still unmatched: You get a blue leather box with everything in it and the IEMs sit in a handcrafted wooden case inside. Amazing!
(Above: Pola39 with packaging)
Compare this to the Black Hole and you will be disappointed. But in the end, what should count is the sound, right?
I think both IEMs are very good for their price and ultimately, it comes down to preference which one you might prefer.
Verdict
I have spent quite some time now with the Black Hole and come away impressed.
The amount of detail and soundstage rendered are phantastic. Apart from the looks of the cable (personal taste!) and the issue of possibly connecting the cable the wrong way, this is a clear winner and should be a no-brainer for many people.
800$ is a lot of money to spend on an IEM, no question. But what you get is flagship-level sound with a very unique design that competes with earphones well above its price. In combination with a warmer, more musical source like the X`Cayin N6II, they punch way above their price. Well done, Shozy!
Pros
- Beautiful, immersive sound with vast amount of details
- Very good sound stage and separation
- Futuristic and unique design
- Very good build quality of IEMs and cable
- Scales well with more powerful and better matching sources
- Excellent price-performance ratio
Cons
- Bass/Sub-bass could have a little bit more depth and impact
- Cable design/looks is an acquired taste
- Packaging and accessories a bit on the cheaper side
*Update: Shozy is offering Black Hole with the option of 4.4mm balanced now.